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The Age
Friday March 25, 2011
Does Melbourne really need another Italian restaurant? At least the Merchant tries to be a bit different, writes Larissa Dubecki There are two schools of thought when it comes to the way restaurant reviews pay heed to decor and ambience. If you're a member of the purist cabal, you'll argue that it's a triumph of the superficial and that all that really ought to matter is the food on the plate and the way in which it's delivered. Quite frankly, it's an attitude for which it's not difficult to have sympathy. Great food transcends place - I'd happily eat a good meal in a shipping container - so it seems unfair that restaurateurs who can afford big-name designers and expensive fit-outs are at an advantage to those who can't. But the reality is that sometimes design matters. Quite a bit. A restaurant built on the premise that it's a Venetian osteria (a casual eating house that's all about a succession of small dishes - to put it another way, think of a trattoria, then add another layer of noise) displaced to Melbourne better deliver the goods on the promises contained in the unspoken contract. It should have bucketloads of Italian brio and, of course, it should have the northern Italian menu of things that, true to the definition of an osteria, arrive in a steady stream so that eating and drinking becomes one big happy blur rather than the more sharply delineated meal of antipasti, primi piatti and secondi. On these counts, the Merchant mostly delivers, although I'd probably say it's better to visit at night when they reach a critical mass and the kind of happy buzz that speaks directly to human nature. People want to eat where other people want to eat. There's little in this world so offputting as an empty dining room. During the day it wants a little for atmosphere, possibly because of the size. At night, you've got to arrive in time to snare a table (half are unreservable - but if you miss out, there's always the bar, which is a perfectly acceptable place to perch) or book quite a bit ahead. The Merchant is a tricky space that gazumped its lack of natural light and the lack of natural beauty of the skyscraper-shadowed forecourt that leads to its door. It takes the Italian equivalent of chutzpah to anchor a life-sized gondola there at the door in its concrete sea; the mosaic of the Venetian winged lion that's just a little bit Palazzo Versace but a whole lot of OTT fun. In fact, the only things I'd take umbrage at are the large circular lightshades over the bar. They're way too Melbourne. The theme for this osteria at the Rialto was a no-brainer, especially when you consider the family ties to the Veneto of not just the Grossi family but their patrons, the Grollos. And unto the theme they have stayed true. The wine list is an education in the lesser-known north-eastern regional varietals. It comes with a sommelier with a real enthusiasm for the job. The menu evidences less of the sunny southern influence known generically as "Italian", more of the misty, mysterious Veneto. There's carpaccio, as you'd expect, and baccala. The menu has sprightly sub-sections for polenta and risotto, done the proper way with serves (and prices) kept small so they don't destroy appetites in their wake. You really can't go wrong picking your way through the excellent selection of crudo, including the wonderful goose prosciutto. And it's easy to spot the Arabic influence in the classic Venetian dish of sardines in soar (that's sweet and sour). Larger dishes, although only a very few here are what would pass elsewhere for mains, include the simplicity of veal minute steak, thrown very briefly on the flat grill until just done and served up in thin slices with just a squeeze of lemon. It's food you (I, actually) want to eat. The fact that they've made an original contribution to Italian food in Melbourne, a city that has sugo running through its dining DNA, is significant in itself. What news from the Merchant? Good news. The vibethe crowd As sprawling and varied as the menu.everybody's orderingThe calamari, even though it's the weakest link.noiseThe busy babble of happy diners.wine listA drinkable lesson in Italy's north-east.The Merchant495 Collins Street, city 9614 7688LicensedOpen Mon-Sat 7am-11pmCards AE MC V Diners EftposEntrees $8-$20Mains $25-$45Desserts $14.50
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